WCVE Public Radio
by Craig Carper
Dozens of union members held a rally at Capitol Square today (1/30) in support of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. If approved the 600-mile natural gas transmission pipeline would run from West Virginia through the western part of Virginia and into North Carolina with a lateral line running to Chesapeake.
Labor representatives say the project would support 8,800 jobs during the two-year construction period and 2,200 jobs in manufacturing and related industries once the pipeline is complete.
Matt Yonka, President of the Virginia Building & Construction Trades Council, said, “You’re talking about an energy source that starts in West Virginia and comes here to our state and we’re self sustaining then. We’re not shipping it in. We’re not bringing it in in boats from overseas. It’s made here. It’s created here. It’s created jobs here for our folks. It’s all about building America. It’s about redoing our infrastructure. It’s about creating jobs and that’s what this project does.”
Yonka says natural gas is a cleaner burning alternative to coal and is more sustainable than wind and solar.
In a preliminary report last month, Federal Regulators concluded that the project would have a negligible negative impact on the environment.
Opponents say the project is unnecessary and object to the use of fracked shale gas.
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